This invention relates to a support system and, more particularly, to a system for supporting a fluidized bed in a boiler.
In a fluidized bed boiler, air is normally passed upwardly through a mass of particulate material including a particulate fuel, causing the material to expand and take on a suspended or fluidized state. Combustion of the fuel material produces heat which is transferred to a heat exchange medium, such as water, passing through tubes, or the like, located proximate to the fluidized bed. In these arrangements one or more perforated plates, or grids, is mounted relative to the boiler walls by a supporting structure and receives the particulate material while permitting the air to pass into the material.
Since the design of the grid and the support structure are completely different both from a materials and size standpoint, the grid and its supporting structure undergo significant relative expansion in response to the high temperatures encountered in the boiler. This expansion, if not adequately accommodated, can result in failure of either the grid, its supporting structure or both. Also, the grids are very difficult to remove and install due to their bulkiness and weight, especially if they are in the form of a single plate.